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Turkish central bank reserves rise by $13.7B to highest level since March

Photo illustration shows the logo of the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (CBRT). (Collage by Türkiye Today)
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Photo illustration shows the logo of the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (CBRT). (Collage by Türkiye Today)
August 10, 2026 05:16 PM GMT+03:00

Türkiye’s central bank reserves jumped by about $13.7 billion in the week ending Aug. 7, reaching approximately $178.2 billion, the highest level since the week ending March 20, according to the data.

The increase reverses a sharp decline after the Iran war erupted in late February, as capital outflows drove the reserve drawdown. A week earlier, reserves had stood at $164.4 billion.

Gold drives part of July recovery

The latest increase followed a broader recovery that began in July, after official reserve assets stood at $147.4 billion at the end of June. During July, reserves increased by about $17 billion, or roughly 11.5%, from the end-June level.

Gold reserves stood at $94.3 billion at the end of June and climbed to $100.6 billion by July 31, an increase of about $6.4 billion over the month, accounting for much of the movement in official reserve assets.

The rise largely stemmed from rebounding gold prices, with spot prices rising more than 7% to above $4,300 per ounce last week.

Foreign-currency positions also improved during the month, while short-term foreign-currency outflows declined. Short-term foreign-currency outflows stood at $38.4 billion on July 31, down from $42.3 billion at the end of June.

Aggregate short positions in forwards and futures against the Turkish lira stood at $16.7 billion, compared with $17.7 billion at the end of June.

Chart shows Türkiye’s central bank reserves, gold holdings and foreign exchange reserves from January 2023 through July 2026. (Chart via CBRT)
Chart shows Türkiye’s central bank reserves, gold holdings and foreign exchange reserves from January 2023 through July 2026. (Chart via CBRT)

Reserves rebound from one-year low

Reserves had followed a volatile and largely downward path after reaching a record $218.2 billion in the week ending Jan. 30, 2026. They fell sharply in March and continued to weaken into June.

They hit $149.2 billion in the week ending June 26, their lowest level since June 2025, before turning higher in July. Reserves reached $164.5 billion by the week ending July 31 and then climbed further in the latest week.

Despite the latest recovery, reserves remain about $40 billion below their January record, based on the latest $178.2 billion level.

August 10, 2026 05:16 PM GMT+03:00
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